The present invention pertains generally to hangers which are placed upon the handle of a door to convey information, and more particularly to a hanger which will not fall off of a lever-type door handle when the door is opened and closed.
Hangers are often utilized to convey information or give instructions by placing the hanger upon the handle of a door. For example, in a boarding establishment such as a hotel, motel, rooming house, bed and breakfast, or the like, hangers are used by customers to give instructions to the cleaning staff. The hanger is placed upon the outside door handle of their room. One side of the handle might contain DO NOT DISTURB and the other side might contain PLEASE CLEAN ROOM.
A problem exists however with lever-type door handles (commonly referred to as European door handles). Because of their construction, hangers can easily fall off of the door handle when the door is opened or closed. The present invention is directed toward the solution of this problem.
The present invention is directed to a hanger for a lever-type door handle which once installed upon the door handle is self locking and therefore will not dislodge when the door is opened and closed. The present invention employs a unique three dimensional structure which locks the hanger upon the shank portion of the door handle.
In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, a hanger for a lever-type door handle having a lever portion connected to a substantially perpendicular shank portion, includes a body having a first section having a first hole, a second section having a second hole, said first and second holes shaped and dimensioned to receive the lever portion and the shank portion of the lever-type door handle. The body further includes a bendable joint disposed between the first section and the second section so that the first and second sections may be bent toward each other. The bendable joint is resilient so that when the first and second sections are bent toward each other and released, the first and second sections are resiliently urged away from each other. When the body is installed on the shank portion of the lever-type door handle with the first and second holes receiving the shank portion, the first and second sections are urged away from each other in opposite directions along the shank portion, wherein the first section abuts the door and the second section abuts the lever portion of the door handle.
In accordance with an important aspect of the invention, when the first and second sections are bent together, the first and second holes reside in substantially aligned relationship so that the holes may simultaneously receive the lever and shank portions of the lever-type door handle.
In accordance with an important feature of the invention, the body has a second bendable joint disposed on the opposite side of the second section from the first bendable joint.